RF-based identification and location-finding systems for determination of relative or geographic position of objects are generally used for tracking single objects or groups of objects, as well as for tracking individuals. Conventional location-finding systems have been used for position determination in an open, outdoor environment. RF-based, Global Positioning System (GPS)/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and assisted GPSs/GNSSs are typically used. However, conventional location-finding systems suffer from certain inaccuracies when locating the objects in closed (i.e., indoor) environments, as well as outdoors.
Cellular wireless communication systems provide various methods of locating user equipment (UE) position indoors and in environments that are not well suited for GPS. The most accurate methods are positioning techniques that are based on the multilateration/trilateration methods. For example, LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard release 9 specifies the DL-OTDOA (Downlink Observed Time Difference of Arrival) and release 11 specifies the U-TDOA (Uplink Time Difference of Arrival) techniques that are derivatives of the multilateration/trilateration methods.
Since time synchronization errors impact locate accuracy, the fundamental requirement for multilateration/trilateration based systems is the complete and precise time synchronization of the system to a single common reference time. In cellular networks, the DL-OTDOA and the U-TDOA locating methods also require, in the case of DL-OTDOA, that transmissions from multiple antennas be time synchronized, or in the case of U-TDOA, that multiple receivers be time synchronized.
The LTE standards release 9 and release 11 do not specify the time synchronization accuracy for the purpose of locating, leaving this to wireless/cellular service providers. On the other hand, these standards do provide limits for the ranging accuracy. For example, when using 10 MHz ranging signal bandwidth, the requirement is 50 meters (67% reliability for the DL-OTDOA and 100 meters @67% reliability for the U-TDOA.
The above noted limits are the result of a combination of ranging measurements errors and errors caused by the lack of precision synchronization, e.g. time synchronization errors. From the relevant LTE test specifications (3GPP TS 36.133 version 10.1.0 release 10) and other documents, it is possible to estimate the time synchronization error, assuming that the synchronization error is uniformly distributed. One such estimate amounts to 200 ns (100 ns peak-to-peak). It should be noted that the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) functionality also requires cellular network synchronization down to 150 nanoseconds (75 ns peak-to-peak), assuming that the synchronization error is uniformly distributed. Therefore, going forward, the LTE network's time synchronization accuracy will be assumed to be within 150 ns.
As for distance location accuracy, FCC directive NG 911 specifies locate accuracy requirements of 50 meters and 100 meters. However, for the Location Based Services (LBS) market, the indoors location requirements are much more stringent −3 meters @67% reliability. As such, the ranging and locate error introduced by the time synchronization error of 150 ns (the standard deviation of 43 ns) is much larger than the 3 meters ranging error (standard deviation of 10 ns).
While a cellular network's time synchronization might be adequate to satisfy the mandatory FCC NG E911 emergency location requirements, this synchronization accuracy falls short of the needs of LBS or RTLS system users, who require significantly more accurate locating. Thus, there is a need in the art for mitigating the locate error induced by lack of accurate time synchronization for cellular/wireless networks for the purpose of supporting LBS and RTLS.